


still shining stars

by anattemptatalliteration



Category: Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Friendship, Gen, POV Second Person, Post-Canon, cute girls who I love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-05-09 11:14:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14714978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anattemptatalliteration/pseuds/anattemptatalliteration
Summary: Aqours reunites, one year after their last performance.





	still shining stars

Exactly one year after the last performance of the school idol group Aqours, you find yourself inside a familiar café. You are waiting for seven other girls, your sister is beside you. Some would say it's too soon. You thought it was too late. Everybody was free that day, whether coincidence or not no-one would know. It wouldn't matter anyways, because in the end you're all here and happy and, well, shining.

The owner had smiled at you and says the drinks are on the house. You will never get unused to the casual hospitality and community spirit of your hometown, and you had thanked her gratefully.

Ruby looks older now, you can tell in the more confident way she holds herself and the sure tone of her voice. But she is still your little sister, and the hug she gave you is still the same. She wears her hair the same way, and uses the same stockings with her uniform. She has already excitedly told you about everything that's happened at her new school since you've left, and you listen as a good big sister should. It sounds like she's doing well, and when she shyly mentions trying out for school council president next year you scoop her up into a big hug and tell her how proud you are of her. It's a testament to how much she's grown that she doesn't start bawling immediately, but a minute later you both are crying out of joy.

Kanan comes next, still in her traveling clothes and a big smile on her face. "Hi," she says, "Let's hug?" and it's like you've never left. You hug her, and she still smells like travel and cheap shampoo but she's still Kanan and you've missed her. She smiles and ruffles Ruby's hair, and moves to sit on the steps. She quickly tells how life is overseas, and how while her program is hard, it's fun and worth it. You're happy for her, but a childish part of you still wishes that you could be together with her(and Mari) in the same school. That part of you doesn't need the constant reassurance anymore and you've left it behind to go forth and be a more open person. It's working you think, especially when Kanan grins up at you and tells you that you've changed.

“You have too,” you tease, but you can really only see tanner skin and shorter hair, as if she cut it recently. Maybe she's used to moving at a faster pace now, or dealing with harsher people and acting like a responsible adult. But none of that matters here, and you both know that.

“I'm growing it out again,” she reassures you, even though you never commented on it in the first place. You chuckle and merely look towards the direction of the bus stop, not having forgotten it just yet.

Yoshiko, "It's still Yohane!", and Hanamaru arrive next, bickering softly about something or the other with no real heat behind it. They look better and older, but they're still the cute first, now second, years you remember and love them as.

Yoshiko looks more grown into herself, wearing two buns now with longer hair. "My little demons are gathering again!" she laughs, but it sounds more genuine now. She's moved her feather from her hair to a front pocket in their uniforms. You remind yourself that they're still in high school, young and with years ahead of them, not that you're much older of course. She then offers a shy smile, which you gladly return. You're somewhat glad that she hadn't dropped her "fallen angel" shtick, as it seemed to be a part of her that shouldn't be locked away.

Hanamaru still adds zura to her sentences, but she seems more sure of it now. "It's good to see you all, _zura_ ," she says, smiling around a bread bun she apparently brought from the convenience store on the way over. She offers a bag full of more snacks to you, but you politely turn her down. Your parents had fed you more food than ever after you returned home, fussing over how all college students apparently couldn't take care of themselves anymore. (You don't tell them about the stressful nights and early mornings running solely on caffeine, but those are few and far between. You're still getting used to it all.) Kanan takes it, and pulls out a red bean bun and finishes it off in record time.

Mari comes next, in a flurry of Italian, English and Japanese. She's wearing one of her old dresses but with new high heels and designer sunglasses. "Italy changed you," you want to say, but "You haven't changed at all," comes out instead. And it's true, she's still the same old charming, infuriating, shining Mari Ohara that you know and love.

" _Of course_!" she says, her eyes still twinkling even a year later, after college and a foreign country. "I'm still as _well_ as ever! _Molto bene_!" She sits down next to Kanan, not minding at all if her dress touched the less than clean steps. She kept her hair growing, and it reaches down to her mid-back now. She pushes her sunglasses up and her eyes are calmer but still as bright as you remember them being.

Chika, Riko and You arrive next, hand in hand and smiling wide enough to challenge the sun.

Chika cut her hair, its much shorter now and it looks good on her. You tell her this and she gives a sheepish laugh. "Don't tell anyone," she whispers while Riko looks on suspiciously, "but it was because I tried to cut it myself and it didn't end too well." You chuckle and promise to not tell, easily picturing it in your mind. She still smiles and laughs the same way, with the same straightforward determination that drew you to her in the first place. Sometimes you wonder, if you had accepted them earlier or later if anything would change. But you don't dwell on the past, and things probably wouldn’t have gone any other way.

Riko looks more alive in a way, smiling more openly and less reserved than before. She looks more defined too, which Kanan had gleefully pointed out. Apparently she and You have also joined the swim club, after she had expressed an effort to be more in shape. She changed her signature pink hair clip to a deeper red, and she eagerly shows pictures of Prelude to all that ask, and to all that don't. You're happy for her, and as you tell her this she practically glows.

You looks happier and taller, and is proudly wearing their new school's uniform along with a sailor's hat. Apparently their school's dress code allows hats and other miscellaneous accessories so You has taken full advantage of it. You both haven’t changed much physically, and you inanely feel a rush of pride in that. You kept your white hair clips on, a gift from your parents for entering high school, and plan to keep them.

They all settle down, and you can feel the nostalgia settling in on you. It seems as if nothing has changed, but it has and it will continue to. Your juniors are more settled but still learning and growing, and you are restless here, burning with an energy gained only from a big city such as Tokyo. But you are all still Aqours at heart, and you know that will never change.

"So you continued to be school idols," Kanan says, looking the remaining high school students in their eyes. She and You had just finished exchanging new workout routines, and You looks up at her almost surprised.

"Ehe," Chika says, almost ashamed but not shy, never shy. “We still wanted to shine I guess. But not under Aqours' name! We're still Aqours," she was quick to add on, gesturing to all nine of them. "And Leah joined us! The Kazuno family moved down over here, and Leah transferred to our school."

You nodded, as it was old news to you. You keep in touch with Seira, out of your bond of older sisters to two shy precious girls. She goes to a college close to yours and sometimes you meet each other for a chat and tea. You both regret not being idols anymore, but you know that there are other things in store for you.

“Leah’s visiting her sister right now, so they couldn’t stop by,” Ruby interjected, while Hanamaru and Yoshiko nodded by her side. “She would have wanted to come, and perform with us for you guys!” she added, grinning happily.

“I bet she also felt a little guilty at ‘intruding on our privacy’, zura”, Hanamaru quoted while Ruby and Yoshiko sighed. You can imagine how that would be a problem, but you’re confident that your girls would figure it out.

"How are you guys doing, school idol wise?" you ask, more out of expectation than curiosity.

"Good!" Chika says, clenching her fist. "We're on track to win Love Live again!" Riko and You nod, as the first, second you correct yourself, years grin excitedly.

You smile triumphantly, not expecting anything less. You know that it would be fine if they didn't win, but you will be there to cheer them on. You know that they know that, and the grin you all share only cements that.

There was a lull in conversation and Chika spoke up. "And I was thinking," she said, uncharacteristically hesitant, "Maybe since we all reunited we could do a practice together? Until next time?" And the last part was there deliberately, and you allow a softer smile to grace your lips. You knew that they all were thinking the same as you. What else was there to do besides that?

"Well, I'm not sure if I'm up to it, and since we won't be performing," you hedge for the spirit of it as if you haven't gone over old dance routines whenever you had a spare moment, or watched old live shows before bed. Kanan and Mari grin, seeing right through you, as you knew they would.

"That sounds great!" Kanan says as she slings her arm around your shoulders, laughing the same way she always did.

They lead you to their new school, which is bigger and newer, but not better. You’re glad they're settling in, yet you can't stop a part of you from feeling a little betrayed at how they left Uranohoshi so soon. You do know that it wasn't their choice, and they fought as hard as you did to save it. You shake those thoughts off and follow your juniors as they lead you surprisingly, or unsurprisingly, to the rooftop.

“It just felt right,” You shrugged as an explanation, and you get it. “There were other club rooms we could use, but we didn't really feel good doing it there.”

You practice and practice and practice together and you're sure it's mostly muscle memory driving you as you go through Aozora Jumping Heart for the fifth time. You can tell that you're getting soft when you find yourself gasping for breath before even Hamamaru, but you grin and shake it off for the next wave of school idols.

“Should we show you our new songs?” Ruby asks, eyes gleaming with barely contained excitement. You watch as they get into formation while Riko plugs her phone into the speaker. You can see the empty space where Leah would usually be and you feel a slight tinge of nostalgia of that one Christmas performance when you truly realized how much you loved your little sister.

The music starts and they immediately jump into song. You've all changed and moved and grown but at heart, you know you'll always be nine young girls who chased after a dream. The air feels of nostalgia with a tinge of fulfilled dreams and you can't help but smile.

They finish, panting but excited and you clap and smile as you know Kanan and Mari will do the same. Kanan is already talking to you about changing some of the choreography and Mari is shouting excitedly about how they'll blow the competition away. You're content to just relax for a while longer and know that your juniors will continue to carry out the legacy of Muse, and school idols before them.

As the sun starts to set, and conversation starts to wind down, you plan to leave with Kanan and Mari to Mari's mansion. You three have some more catching up to do, that should be reserved to in-person chats and not over bad phone connections and different time zones. And you know that all three of you feel the deadline of your needed return more pressing than anyone else.

Ruby's leaving with Yoshiko and Hanamaru and even though you know she's more than capable you still fuss over her indulgently. "I'm fine sister!" she finally says and she's grown but still laughing the same way she's always done.

You watch them leave, those shining girls who you are so, so, so proud of. You watch as Chika pauses and looks back, cupping her hands over her mouth. "We’ll do this again next year!" she shouts after you, more of a promise than a question.

You stand beside your two most precious friends, and you wonder what you could ever do without them. Not much, you think wryly. And who's fault was that?

" _Of course_!"

**Author's Note:**

> No ships were implicitly written in but see what you wish to see  
> I typed the first draft of this up right after finishing ep 13 of s2 and crying my eyes out  
> Instagram: @wip.morelike.rip


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